(1) The department is responsible for developing the specialty license plates authorized in s. 320.08053.

(2) The department shall issue a specialty license plate to the owner or lessee of any motor vehicle, except a vehicle registered under the International Registration Plan, a commercial truck required to display two license plates pursuant to s. 320.0706, or a truck tractor, upon request and payment of the appropriate license tax and fees.

(3) Each request must be made annually to the department or an authorized agent serving on behalf of the department, accompanied by the following tax and fees:

(a) The license tax required for the vehicle as set forth in s. 320.08.

(b) A processing fee of $5, to be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund.

(c) A license plate fee as required by s. 320.06(1)(b).

(d) A license plate annual use fee as required in subsection (4).

A request may be made any time during a registration period. If a request is made for a specialty license plate to replace a current valid license plate, the specialty license plate must be issued with appropriate decals attached at no tax for the plate, but all fees and service charges must be paid. If a request is made for a specialty license plate at the beginning of the registration period, the tax, together with all applicable fees and service charges, must be paid.

(4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:

(a) Manatee license plate, $25.

(b) Challenger/Columbia license plate, $25, except that a person that purchases 1,000 or more of such license plates shall pay an annual use fee of $15 per plate.

(c) Collegiate license plate, $25.

(d) Florida Salutes Veterans license plate, $15.

(e) Florida panther license plate, $25.

(f) Florida United States Olympic Committee license plate, $15.

(g) Florida Special Olympics license plate, $15.

(h) Florida educational license plate, $20.

(i) Florida Professional Sports Team license plate, $25.

(j) Florida Indian River Lagoon license plate, $15.

(k) Invest in Children license plate, $20.

(l) Florida arts license plate, $20.

(m) Bethune-Cookman University license plate, $25.

(n) Florida Agricultural license plate, $20.

(o) Police Athletic League license plate, $20.

(p) Boy Scouts of America license plate, $20.

(q) Largemouth Bass license plate, $25.

(r) Sea Turtle license plate, $23.

(s) Protect Wild Dolphins license plate, $20.

(t) Barry University license plate, $25.

(u) Everglades River of Grass license plate, $20.

(v) Keep Kids Drug-Free license plate, $25.

(w) Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches license plate, $25.

(x) Conserve Wildlife license plate, $25.

(y) Florida Memorial University license plate, $25.

(z) Tampa Bay Estuary license plate, $15.

(aa) Florida Wildflower license plate, $15.

(bb) United States Marine Corps license plate, $15.

(cc) Choose Life license plate, $20.

(dd) Share the Road license plate, $15.

(ee) American Red Cross license plate, $25.

(ff) United We Stand license plate, $25.

(gg) Breast Cancer Research license plate, $25.

(hh) Protect Florida Whales license plate, $25.

(ii) Florida Golf license plate, $25.

(jj) Florida Firefighters license plate, $20.

(kk) Police Benevolent Association license plate, $20.

(ll) Military Services license plate, $15.

(mm) Protect Our Reefs license plate, $25.

(nn) Fish Florida license plate, $22.

(oo) Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention license plate, $25.

(pp) Hospice license plate, $25.

(qq) Stop Heart Disease license plate, $25.

(rr) Save Our Seas license plate, $25, except that for an owner purchasing the specialty license plate for more than 10 vehicles registered to that owner, the annual use fee shall be $10 per plate.

(ss) Aquaculture license plate, $25, except that for an owner purchasing the specialty license plate for more than 10 vehicles registered to that owner, the annual use fee shall be $10 per plate.

(tt) Family First license plate, $25.

(uu) Wildlife Foundation of Florida license plate, $25.

(vv) Live the Dream license plate, $25.

(ww) Florida Food Banks license plate, $25.

(xx) Discover Florida’s Oceans license plate, $25.

(yy) Family Values license plate, $25.

(zz) Parents Make A Difference license plate, $25.

(aaa) Support Soccer license plate, $25.

(bbb) Kids Deserve Justice license plate, $25.

(ccc) Animal Friend license plate, $25.

(ddd) Future Farmers of America license plate, $25.

(eee) Donate Organs-Pass It On license plate, $25.

(fff) A State of Vision license plate, $25.

(ggg) Homeownership For All license plate, $25.

(hhh) Florida NASCAR license plate, $25.

(iii) Protect Florida Springs license plate, $25.

(jjj) Trees Are Cool license plate, $25.

(kkk) Support Our Troops license plate, $25.

(lll) Florida Tennis license plate, $25.

(mmm) Lighthouse Association license plate, $25.

(nnn) In God We Trust license plate, $25.

(ooo) Horse Country license plate, $25.

(ppp) Autism license plate, $25.

(qqq) St. Johns River license plate, $25.

(rrr) Hispanic Achievers license plate, $25.

(sss) Endless Summer license plate, $25.

(ttt) Fraternal Order of Police license plate, $25.

(uuu) Protect Our Oceans license plate, $25.

(vvv) Florida Horse Park license plate, $25.

(www) Florida Biodiversity Foundation license plate, $25.

(xxx) Freemasonry license plate, $25.

(yyy) American Legion license plate, $25.

(zzz) Lauren’s Kids license plate, $25.

(aaaa) Big Brothers Big Sisters license plate, $25.

(bbbb) Fallen Law Enforcement Officers license plate, $25.

(cccc) Florida Sheriffs Association license plate, $25.

(dddd) Keiser University license plate, $25.

(eeee) Moffitt Cancer Center license plate, $25.

(5) If a vehicle owner or lessee to whom the department has issued a specialty license plate acquires a replacement vehicle within the owner’s registration period, the department must authorize a transfer of the specialty license plate to the replacement vehicle in accordance with s. 320.0609. The annual use fee or processing fee may not be refunded.

(6) Specialty license plates must bear the design required by law for the appropriate specialty license plate, and the designs and colors must conform to the department’s design specifications. In addition to a design, the specialty license plates may bear the imprint of numerals from 1 to 999, inclusive, capital letters “A” through “Z,” or a combination thereof. The department shall determine the maximum number of characters, including both numerals and letters. All specialty license plates must be otherwise of the same material and size as standard license plates issued for any registration period. A specialty license plate may bear an appropriate slogan, emblem, or logo in a size and placement that conforms to the department’s design specifications. The sponsoring organization’s Internet domain name may appear on the plate.

(7) The department shall annually retain from the first proceeds derived from the annual use fees collected an amount sufficient to defray each specialty plate’s pro rata share of the department’s costs directly related to the specialty license plate program. Such costs shall include inventory costs, distribution costs, direct costs to the department, costs associated with reviewing each organization’s compliance with audit and attestation requirements of s. 320.08062, and any applicable increased costs of manufacturing the specialty license plate. Any cost increase to the department related to actual cost of the plate, including a reasonable vendor profit, shall be verified by the Department of Management Services. The balance of the proceeds from the annual use fees collected for that specialty license plate shall be distributed as provided by law.

(8)(a) The department must discontinue the issuance of an approved specialty license plate if the number of valid specialty plate registrations falls below 1,000 plates for at least 12 consecutive months. A warning letter shall be mailed to the sponsoring organization following the first month in which the total number of valid specialty plate registrations is below 1,000 plates. 1This paragraph does not apply to collegiate license plates established under s. 320.08058(3).

(b) The department is authorized to discontinue the issuance of a specialty license plate and distribution of associated annual use fee proceeds if the organization no longer exists, if the organization has stopped providing services that are authorized to be funded from the annual use fee proceeds, if the organization does not meet the presale requirements as prescribed in s. 320.08053, or pursuant to an organizational recipient’s request. Organizations shall notify the department immediately to stop all warrants for plate sales if any of the conditions in this section exist and must meet the requirements of s. 320.08062 for any period of operation during a fiscal year.

(9) The organization that requested the specialty license plate may not redesign the specialty license plate unless the inventory of those plates has been depleted. However, the organization may purchase the remaining inventory of the specialty license plates from the department at cost.

(10)(a) A specialty license plate annual use fee collected and distributed under this chapter, or any interest earned from those fees, may not be used for commercial or for-profit activities nor for general or administrative expenses, except as authorized by s. 320.08058 or to pay the cost of the audit or report required by s. 320.08062(1). The fees and any interest earned from the fees may be expended only for use in this state unless the annual use fee is derived from the sale of United States Armed Forces and veterans-related specialty license plates pursuant to paragraphs (4)(d), (bb), (ll), (kkk), and (yyy) and s. 320.0891.

(b) As used in this subsection, the term “administrative expenses” means those expenditures which are considered as direct operating costs of the organization. Such costs include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Administrative salaries of employees and officers of the organization who do not or cannot prove, via detailed daily time sheets, that they actively participate in program activities.

2. Bookkeeping and support services of the organization.

3. Office supplies and equipment not directly utilized for the specified program.

4. Travel time, per diem, mileage reimbursement, and lodging expenses not directly associated with a specified program purpose.

5. Paper, printing, envelopes, and postage not directly associated with a specified program purpose.

6. Miscellaneous expenses such as food, beverage, entertainment, and conventions.

(11) The annual use fee from the sale of specialty license plates, the interest earned from those fees, or any fees received by an agency as a result of the sale of specialty license plates may not be used for the purpose of marketing to, or lobbying, entertaining, or rewarding, an employee of a governmental agency that is responsible for the sale and distribution of specialty license plates, or an elected member or employee of the Legislature.

(12) The application form for a specialty license plate shall provide the applicant the option to instruct the department to provide his or her name, address, and renewal date to the sponsoring organization.

History.—s. 2, ch. 95-282; s. 1, ch. 96-160; s. 1, ch. 96-161; s. 1, ch. 96-162; s. 1, ch. 96-163; s. 1, ch. 96-164; s. 1, ch. 96-165; s. 49, ch. 97-100; s. 2, ch. 97-252; s. 1, ch. 97-272; s. 1, ch. 98-67; s. 1, ch. 98-72; s. 1, ch. 98-74; s. 1, ch. 98-76; s. 1, ch. 98-77; s. 1, ch. 98-181; ss. 2, 6, ch. 98-414; s. 99, ch. 99-13; s. 1, ch. 99-191; s. 25, ch. 99-248; s. 1, ch. 99-268; s. 1, ch. 99-294; s. 1, ch. 99-295; s. 1, ch. 99-301; s. 1, ch. 99-302; s. 7, ch. 2001-196; s. 1, ch. 2001-355; s. 72, ch. 2002-20; s. 1, ch. 2002-203; s. 1, ch. 2002-237; s. 1, ch. 2002-249; s. 1, ch. 2003-26; s. 1, ch. 2003-66; ss. 2, 4, ch. 2003-73; s. 1, ch. 2003-121; s. 1, ch. 2003-183; s. 1, ch. 2003-256; ss. 1, 4, ch. 2004-337; s. 1, ch. 2006-240; s. 32, ch. 2006-290; s. 1, ch. 2006-293; ss. 1, 4, ch. 2006-297; s. 1, ch. 2007-103; s. 2, ch. 2007-223; s. 1, ch. 2008-37; s. 1, ch. 2008-38; s. 5, ch. 2009-14; s. 22, ch. 2009-71; s. 5, ch. 2009-86; s. 1, ch. 2010-81; s. 1, ch. 2010-168; s. 1, ch. 2010-215; s. 1, ch. 2010-216; s. 24, ch. 2010-223; s. 34, ch. 2012-181; s. 1, ch. 2013-85; ss. 34, 36, 39, ch. 2013-160; s. 1, ch. 2014-168; s. 19, ch. 2014-216; s. 11, ch. 2015-163.

1Note.—As enacted by s. 32, ch. 2006-290. For a description of multiple acts in the same session affecting a statutory provision, see preface to the Florida Statutes, “Statutory Construction.” Section 1, ch. 2006-297, also added a sentence to paragraph (8)(a), and that version reads: “The provisions of this subsection do not apply to collegiate license plates established pursuant to s. 320.08058(3).”